Astilbe plant named ‘Beauty of Ernst’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Astilbe  plant named ‘Beauty of Ernst’, characterized by its upright plant habit; rapid growth rate; brightly colored foliage; freely and uniform flowering habit; and light pink-colored flowers arranged on upright to slightly arching inflorescences.

Botanical designation: Astilbe hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Beauty of Ernst’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant, botanically known as Astilbe hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Beauty of Ernst’.

The new Astilbe is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new fast-growing Astilbe cultivars with attractive foliage coloration.

The new Astilbe originated from a chance pollination of two unknown Astilbe hybrida selections. The new Astilbe was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands on the basis of its unique foliage coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by root divisions in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Astilbe are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Beauty of Ernst have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Beauty of Ernst’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Beauty of Ernst’ as a new and distinct Astilbe cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Rapid growth rate.     -   3. Brightly colored foliage.     -   4. Freely and uniform flowering habit.     -   5. Light pink-colored flowers arranged on upright to slightly         arching inflorescences.

Plants of the new Astilbe can be compared to the Astilbe cultivar Brautschleier, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands, plants of the new Astilbe differed from plants of the cultivar Brautschleier primarily in flower coloration.

Plants of the new Astilbe can also be compared to the Astilbe cultivar Anita Pfeifer, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands, plants of the new Astilbe differed from plants of the cultivar Anita Pfeifer in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe and the cultivar Anita Pfeifer         differed in leaf shape.     -   2. Plants of the new Astilbe and the cultivar Anita Pfeifer         differed in foliage coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Astilbe.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Beauty of Ernst’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Beauty of Ernst’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of the foliage of ‘Beauty of Ernst’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants shown in the aforementioned photographs and used in the following description were grown in 17-cm containers under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the spring and summer in an outdoor nursery in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. Plants were about one year old when the photographs and description were taken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 5 to 20° C. and night temperatures ranged from 2 to 12° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Astilbe hybrida cultivar Beauty of Ernst. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unknown selection of Astilbe             hybrida.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Astilbe             hybrida. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By root divisions.         -   Time to initiate rooting, summer.—About 30 days at 18° C.         -   Time to initiate rooting, winter.—About 40 days at 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 25 weeks at 18°.         -   Root description.—Fine. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Perennial. Upright plant habit; inverted triangle.             Flowering stems and leaves arise from the roots; dense and             bushy plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit. Freely             flowering with numerous flowers on numerous branched             panicles.         -   Growth rate.—Rapid; from divisions, about 20 weeks are             required to produce fully-grown flowering plants in 17-cm             containers.         -   Plant height.—About 75 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 50 cm.         -   Stem description.—Length: About 75 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 10 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to 139A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; bi-ternately             compound. Leaf length (including petiole): About 35 cm. Leaf             width: About 20 cm. Leaflet length: About 8 cm. Leaflet             width: About 3.6 cm. Leaflet shape: Ovate to elliptic.             Leaflet apex: Acuminate to acute. Leaflet base: Cuneate to             oblique. Leaflet margin: Serrate or occasionally biserrate.             Leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely             pubescent. Leaflet luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Slightly lustrous. Leaflet venation pattern: Pinnate.             Leaflet color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 137D, 165A, 180B or 183A; venation, 141A or 183A.             Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 138A             or 178A; venation, 180B to 181A. Petiole length: About             15 cm. Petiole diameter: About 2.5 mm. Petiole texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Petiole color,             upper surface: 46A. Petiole color, lower surface: 179C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Small single flowers arranged             in upright to slightly arching branched panicles; flowers             face upright, outward or droop. Freely and uniformly             flowering habit; about 1,000 flowers and flower buds per             plant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering during the             early summer in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual flowers last             several weeks on the plant and about one week as a cut             flower. Flowers persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; musty, but not unpleasant.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Shape: Ovate to orbicular. Color: 164D.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 7 mm. Depth (height): About 2 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About             3.5 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Ligulate to linear. Apex:             Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: 55D. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: 56D.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About 5 mm.             Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base:             Cuneate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Immature, upper and lower             surfaces: 164D. Mature, upper and lower surfaces: 164D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About             ten. Anther attachment: Basifixed. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther length: Less than 0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to             158A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 19A. Pistils:             Quantity per flower: Two. Pistil length: About 2 mm. Stigma             shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 86B. Style             length: About 1.5 mm. Style color: Close to 87D. Ovary             color: Close to 87D.         -   Seeds.—Length: Less than 0.5 mm. Diameter: Less than 0.5 mm.             Color: Light brown. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Astilbe have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Astilbe. -   High temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Astilbe have been     observed to tolerate temperatures of 30° C. -   Hardiness: Plants of the new Astilbe are hardy to USDA Zone 5. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant named ‘Beauty of Ernst’, as illustrated and described. 